30. What magnificent vista opens up to us in John’s vision, and who will be able to “stand”?

³⁰ What a magnificent vista these words open up to us! Jehovah himself is on his throne, and all his servants, heavenly and earthly, unite in praising him. His earthly servants appreciate what an awesome privilege it is to share in this swelling chorus of praise. Very soon, Jehovah and Christ Jesus will execute judgment, and the cry will be heard: “The great day of their wrath has come, and who is able to stand?” (Revelation 6:17) The answer? Only a minority of mankind, including any of the sealed 144,000 who might still be remaining in the flesh and a great crowd of other sheep who will “stand,” that is, survive with them.​—Jeremiah 35:19; 1 Corinthians 16:13.

31. How should the fulfillment of John’s vision affect Christians, both of the anointed and of the great crowd?

³¹ In view of this fact, anointed Christians of the John class exert themselves vigorously in “pursuing down toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God by means of Christ Jesus.” (Philippians 3:14) They are fully aware that events during these days call for special endurance on their part. (Revelation 13:10) After loyally serving Jehovah for so many years, they hold fast to the faith, rejoicing that their names are “inscribed in the heavens.” (Luke 10:20; Revelation 3:5) Those of the great crowd too know that only “he that has endured to the end is the one that will be saved.” (Matthew 24:13) While the great crowd as a group is marked to come out of the great tribulation, individuals thereof must exert themselves to remain clean and active.

32. What urgent situation is highlighted by the fact that only two groups will “stand” in the day of Jehovah’s wrath?

³² There is no evidence that any apart from these two groups will “stand” in the day of Jehovah’s wrath. What does this mean for the millions who each year show a certain respect for Jesus’ sacrifice by attending the celebration of the Memorial of his death but who have not yet exercised faith in Jesus’ sacrifice to the point of becoming dedicated, baptized servants of Jehovah, active in his service? Further, what about those who were once active but who have allowed their hearts to “become weighed down with . . . anxieties of life”? May all of such awaken, and stay awake, in order to “succeed in escaping all these things that are destined to occur, and in standing before the Son of man”​—Jesus Christ. The time is short!​—Luke 21:34-36.

1. What happens when the Lamb opens the seventh seal?

“THE four winds” have been held back until the 144,000 of spiritual Israel are sealed and the great crowd is approved for survival. (Revelation 7:1-4, 9) However, before that tempestuous storm breaks over the earth, Jehovah’s adverse judgments against Satan’s world must also be made known! As the Lamb proceeds to open the seventh and final seal, John must be watching keenly to see what will unfold. Now he shares his experience with us: “And when he [the Lamb] opened the seventh seal, a silence occurred in heaven for about a half hour. And I saw the seven angels that stand before God, and seven trumpets were given them.”​—Revelation 8:1, 2.

A Time for Fervent Prayer

2. What takes place during the symbolic half hour of silence in heaven?

² A significant silence this! Half an hour can seem a long time when you are waiting for something to happen. Now, even the constant heavenly chorus of praise is no longer heard. (Revelation 4:8) Why? John sees the reason in vision: “And another angel arrived and stood at the altar, having a golden incense vessel; and a large quantity of incense was given him to offer it with the prayers of all the holy ones upon the golden altar that was before the throne. And the smoke of the incense ascended from the hand of the angel with the prayers of the holy ones before God.”​—Revelation 8:3, 4.

3. (a) Of what does incense burning remind us? (b) What is the purpose of the half hour of silence in heaven?

³ This reminds us that under the Jewish system of things, incense was burned daily at the tabernacle and, in later years, at the temple in Jerusalem. (Exodus 30:1-8) During such incense burning, the nonpriestly Israelites waited outside the sacred area, praying​—no doubt silently in their hearts—​to the One to whom the incense smoke was ascending. (Luke 1:10) John now sees something similar happening in heaven. The incense offered by the angel is associated with “the prayers of the holy ones.” In fact, in an earlier vision, incense is said to represent such prayers. (Revelation 5:8; Psalm 141:1, 2) Evidently, then, the symbolic silence in heaven is to allow the prayers of the holy ones on earth to be heard.

4, 5. What historical developments help us determine the time period corresponding to the symbolic half hour of silence?

⁴ Can we determine when this happened? Yes, we can, by examining the context, together with historical developments early in the Lord’s day. (Revelation 1:10) During 1918 and 1919, events on earth harmonized remarkably with the scenario described at Revelation 8:1-4. For 40 years before 1914, the Bible Students​—as Jehovah’s Witnesses were then called—​had been announcing boldly that the times of the Gentiles would end in that year. The distressful events of 1914 proved them correct. (Luke 21:24, King James Version; Matthew 24:3, 7, 8) But many of them also believed that in 1914 they would be taken from this earth to their heavenly inheritance. That did not happen. Instead, during the first world war, they endured a time of severe persecution. On October 31, 1916, the first president of the Watch Tower Society, Charles T. Russell, died. Then, on July 4, 1918, the new president, Joseph F. Rutherford, and seven other representatives of the Society were transported to the Atlanta, Georgia, penitentiary, wrongly sentenced to long years in prison.

⁵ The sincere Christians of the John class were perplexed. What did God want them to do next? When would they be taken up to heaven? An article entitled “The Harvest Ended​—What Shall Follow?” appeared in the May 1, 1919, issue of The Watch Tower. It reflected this state of uncertainty and encouraged the faithful to continued endurance, adding: “We believe it is now a true saying that the harvest of the kingdom class is an accomplished fact, that all such are duly sealed and that the door is closed.” During this difficult period, the fervent prayers of the John class were ascending, as though in the smoke of a large quantity of incense. And their prayers were being heard!

Hurling Fire to the Earth

6. What happens after the silence in heaven, and this in response to what?

⁶ John tells us: “But right away the angel took the incense vessel, and he filled it with some of the fire of the altar and hurled it to the earth. And thunders occurred and voices and lightnings and an earthquake.” (Revelation 8:5) After the silence, there is sudden dramatic activity! This is evidently in response to the prayers of the holy ones, since it is triggered by fire taken from the incense altar. Back in 1513 B.C.E., at Mount Sinai, thunders and lightnings, a loud noise, fire, and a quaking of the mountain signaled Jehovah’s turning his attention to his people. (Exodus 19:16-20) The similar manifestations reported by John likewise indicate Jehovah’s giving attention to his servants on earth. But what John observes is presented in signs. (Revelation 1:1) So how are the symbolic fire, thunders, voices, lightnings, and earthquake to be interpreted today?

7. (a) What symbolic fire did Jesus ignite on earth during his ministry? (b) How did Jesus’ spiritual brothers set light to a fire in Christendom?

⁷ On one occasion, Jesus told his disciples: “I came to start a fire on the earth.” (Luke 12:49) Truly, he did ignite a fire. By his zealous preaching, Jesus made God’s Kingdom the paramount issue before the Jewish people, and this sparked heated controversy throughout that nation. (Matthew 4:17, 25; 10:5-7, 17, 18) In 1919 Jesus’ spiritual brothers on earth, the small band of anointed Christians who had survived the trialsome days of World War I, set light to a similar fire in Christendom. In September of that year, Jehovah’s spirit was remarkably in evidence as his loyal Witnesses assembled from near and far at Cedar Point, Ohio, U.S.A. Joseph F. Rutherford, recently released from prison and soon to see all charges against him dropped, boldly addressed that convention, saying: “Obedient to the command of our Master, and recognizing our privilege and duty to make war against the strongholds of error which have so long held the people in bondage, our vocation was and is to announce the incoming glorious kingdom of Messiah.” That is the primary issue​—God’s Kingdom!

8, 9. (a) How did J. F. Rutherford describe the attitude and desire of God’s people during the difficult war years? (b) How was it that fire was hurled to the earth? (c) How have thunders, voices, lightnings, and an earthquake occurred?

⁸ Referring to the recent hard experiences of God’s people, the speaker said: “So pitiless was the onslaught of the enemy that many of the Lord’s dear flock were stunned and stood still in amazement, praying and waiting for the Lord to indicate his will. . . . But notwithstanding the momentary discouragement, there was a burning desire to proclaim the message of the kingdom.”​—See the September 15, 1919, issue of The Watch Tower, page 280.

⁹ In 1919 that desire was satisfied. This small but active group of Christians was set on fire, spiritually speaking, to begin a worldwide preaching campaign. (Compare 1 Thessalonians 5:19.) Fire was hurled to the earth in that God’s Kingdom was made the burning issue, and so it continues to be! Strong voices replaced silence, sounding out the Kingdom message with clarity. Thunderous storm warnings from the Bible pealed forth. Like flashes of lightning, brilliant beams of truth shone from Jehovah’s prophetic Word, and, as if by a mighty earthquake, the religious realm was shaken to its foundations. The John class saw that there was work to be done. And to this day, that work continues to expand gloriously throughout the entire inhabited earth!​—Romans 10:18.